Music to Your Ears

By Laura Marrich

A Gingerbread Homecoming—It's been less than a year since the Gingerbread Patriots dusted our desert from their keyboards and moved to Portland, Ore. But since they're so gosh darn sentimental, they couldn't stay away for long. Bless their little indie-pop hearts.

The Albuquerque expatriates are dropping in for Frito pie and a show at the Launchpad this Thursday, March 22. Along with locals Mei Long and Polaroid Pornography, the Patriots will share a stage with The Oktober People. It's a particularly joyous occasion because Oktober person Nate Santamaria (lead singer/guitarist) was an original Gingerbread Patriot (drummer), but he elected to remain in New Mexico with his People when the Patriots left. So this will be a reunion of Oktober Patriots, or Gingerbread People, depending on how you look at it. Cost is just $5, and you'd be crazy to let a cover keep you from seeing this one.

Good News for Busy Bands—Because an unprecedented number of New Mexico bands have been preoccupied with other projects (driving 16 hours each way to play a one-bedroom house party at in Austin, for example), the organizers of Hyperfest (aka Hyperactive Music Festival) have extended their application deadline. Bands that hope to participate in the festival and conference—May 17-19 in Albuquerque—now have until Friday, March 30, to get their electronic press kits (or EPKs, as we like to say in the biz) to the powers that be.

Music in Good Conscience—Join local greats The Albuquerque Blues Connection, Cadillac Bob, and Brother E and the Blue Rhythm Kings at a blues blowout to benefit Food for the Poor, a Christian advocacy group for the world's poor and hungry. It's happening at 8 p.m. this Friday, March 23, at The El Rey Theater (21+, $15).